This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-318817, filed Nov. 9, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a monitor device for a control system consisting of a main control section and a plurality of unit control sections each having a sensor connected thereto.
Medium transfer devices for transferring media, for example, paper conventionally include a large number of actuators for separating or moving medium and a large number of sensors for sensing the media for movement. It is thus critical how signals from these sensors are transmitted to a CPU and these actuators are transmitted to a CPU.
Various techniques for multiplexing and transmitting information via serial lines have been proposed for such control systems. To debug control programs for these control systems or analyzing them for errors, it is effective and common to externally reference variations in sensor state and results of control and operation of the actuators.
In an apparatus having a larger number of sensors and actuators mounted therein, however, it is very cumbersome to connect probes of a measuring instrument to corresponding signal lines at the terminal of each sensor or actuator.
Further, in some cases, the probes cannot be connected without special modifications because a substrate with a circuit mounted thereon is positioned where it cannot be externally accessed, or probe lines of a typical measuring instrument may have an insufficient length to connect to all signals due to a large size of the apparatus.
The present invention is provided in view of the above problems, and it is an object thereof to provide a monitor device for a control system that monitors signals on serial lines to obtain and display information on sensors and actuators in order to allow operational conditions of the control system to be observed.
To attain this object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitor device for a control system for monitoring operational conditions of an apparatus comprising a control section and a controlled section that are connected together via serial lines, the control section indicating control targets and contents to the controlled section via the serial lines, the controlled section returning its conditions to the control section via the serial lines, the monitor device being characterized by comprising input means for receiving inputs of serial signals transmitted from the controlled section via the serial lines and converting them into parallel signals, storage means for receiving inputs of predetermined signals transmitted from the controlled section via the serial lines and storing the parallel signals therein, and display means for providing predetermined displays based on the signals stored in the storage means.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitor device for a control system for monitoring operational conditions of an apparatus comprising a control section and a controlled section that are connected together via serial lines, the control section indicating control targets and contents to the controlled section via the serial lines, the controlled section returning its conditions to the control section via the serial lines, the monitor device being characterized by comprising input means for receiving inputs of serial signals transmitted from the control and controlled sections via the serial lines and converting them into parallel signals, storage means for receiving inputs of predetermined signals transmitted from the control and controlled sections via the serial lines and storing the parallel signals therein, and display means for providing predetermined displays based on the signals stored in the storage means, the monitor device being characterized in that the signals transmitted from the control and controlled sections via the serial lines include signals concerning an output port ON/OFF state of the controlled section and an ON/OFF state of a sensor connected to the controlled section, and in that the display means displays the sensor ON/OFF state and the output port ON/OFF state on the same time axis.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitor device for a control system for monitoring operational conditions of an apparatus comprising a control section and a controlled section that are connected together via serial lines, the control section indicating control targets and contents to the controlled section via the serial lines, the controlled section returning its conditions to the control section via the serial lines, the monitor device being characterized by comprising transmission means for transmitting from the control section commands for controlling the controlled section and transmitting responses from the controlled section to the control section, input means for receiving inputs of serial signals transmitted from the control and controlled sections via the serial lines and of the command and response signals transmitted by the transmission section via the serial lines and converting these signals into parallel signals, storage means for receiving inputs of predetermined signals transmitted from the control and controlled sections via the serial lines and storing the parallel signals therein, and display means for providing predetermined displays based on the signals stored in the storage means, the monitor device being characterized in that the signals transmitted from the control and controlled sections via the serial lines include signals concerning output ports ON/OFF state of the controlled section and ON/OFF state of sensor connected to the controlled section, and in-that the display means displays information on the commands and responses input via the transmission means on the same time axis as for the sensor ON/OFF state and the output port ON/OFF state.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitor device for a control system for monitoring operational conditions of an apparatus comprising a control section and a controlled section having predetermined media transferred therethrough and having sensors for sensing transfer of the media, the control and controlled sections being connected together via serial lines, the control section indicating control targets and contents to the controlled section via the serial lines, the controlled section returning at least outputs from the sensors to the control section via the serial lines, the monitor device being characterized by comprising input means for receiving inputs of the output signals from the sensors transmitted from the controlled section via the serial lines and converting them into parallel signals, storage means for storing the output signals from the sensors transmitted from the controlled section via the serial lines, display means for providing predetermined displays based on the signals stored in the storage means, specification means for specifying on the display means at least either a desired sensor or measuring range, and control means for providing control such that an inclination of the medium, an interval between the media, a time required for the medium to pass, and a time required for a transfer between the sensors are calculated and displayed on the display means based on variations in the output of the sensor when a plurality of media are transferred through a position of the sensor specified by the specification means.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitor device for a control system for monitoring operational conditions of an apparatus comprising a control section and a controlled section that are connected together via serial lines, the control section indicating control targets and contents to the controlled section via the serial lines, the controlled section returning its conditions to the control section via the serial lines, the monitor device being characterized by comprising transmission means for transmitting from the control section commands for controlling the controlled section and transmitting responses from the controlled section to the control section, input means for receiving inputs of serial signals transmitted from the control and controlled sections via the serial lines and of the command and response signals transmitted by the transmission section via the serial lines and converting these signals into parallel signals, storage means for receiving inputs of predetermined signals transmitted from the control and controlled sections via the serial lines and storing the parallel signals therein, display means for providing predetermined displays based on the signals stored in the storage means, specification means for specifying a command and a response to be retrieved, and control means for providing control such that the command and response specified by the specification means are retrieved from the storage means and such that time zone data including a point of time when the command or the response was transmitted is displayed on the display means.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.